Hoops Habit
Fansided

Ranking The Top NBA Players By Age: Age 22

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 27, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) blocks a shot by Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) blocks a shot by Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 18
Next
NBA
Feb 21, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Phil Pressey (25) guards San Antonio Spurs forward Kyle Anderson (1) during the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Spurs won 118-111. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Kyle Anderson

Kyle Anderson is living proof that being poised and having a high basketball IQ can help any player in this league overcome a lack of athleticism. Nicknamed “Slow Mo” for his speed (or lack thereof), Anderson has begun to make a name for himself in his second NBA season.

Despite playing for a San Antonio Spurs team on pace to win about 70 games, Anderson has carved out a role in Gregg Popovich’s rotation. His numbers — 4.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 47.1 FG%, 28.6 3P% — don’t even come close to doing his game justice, since he’s filled in admirably in eight starts when Pop’s decided/needed to rest players with minor injuries.

In those eight starts, Anderson averaged 8.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game on efficient .524/.667/.556 shooting splits. That’s a small sample size, but Slow Mo plays with the same kind of two-way intelligence we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from the Spurs.

As an NBA Summer League stud, Anderson has proven he’s far too talented to be on the outside of Pop’s rotation. Now it’ll just be a matter of cementing himself as yet another promising piece in the Spurs machine with the transition into the post-Tim Duncan era that will revolve around Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Next: No. 9